Prolonged release pharmaceutical dosage forms represent an important tool in a medical practioner's armoury for treating diseases. One of the general benefits generally attributed to prolonged release pharmaceutical dosage forms versus immediate release pharmaceutical dosage forms includes increased patient compliance as a consequence of reduced administration frequency.
Various technologies are available for obtaining prolonged release dosage forms. Prolonged release properties may be conveyed by so-called prolonged release matrix systems, prolonged release coatings, osmotic dosage forms, multi-layered dosage forms, etc.
When developing a prolonged release formulation, it is generally necessary to choose the formulation technology with respect to the physico-chemical and physiological properties of the pharmaceutically active agent(s) in question. This means a substantial amount of work to the formulation specialist.
There is thus a continuing interest in further developments which make manufacturing of prolonged release dosage forms more straightforward.